Successful Branding - A critical examination of Customer Experience Management for Persona International

Diplomarbeit , 2005 , 103 Seiten , Note: 1.5

BWL - Offline-Marketing und Online-Marketing

The aim of this thesis is to critically examine and empirically test the branding approach Managing the Customer Experience by Smith and Wheeler. A comparison of branding theories, differing in their focus internal or external of the organisation during the brand development and implementation process, is carried out. Smith and Wheeler suggest an external orientation during the brand creation. The evaluation shows however that an additional focus internal of the organisation is indispensable:
During brand development the management brand vision and the organisational culture should be considered, as Harris and De Chernatony suggest. Internal acceptance of the brand, avoidance of resistance, and use of internal knowledge can be achieved by this. Furthermore the company vision, mission and values have to be considered as Davis suggests. Misalignment between the brand and company strategy can cause negative consequences like a dilution of strategic focus. After empirically testing the Smith and Wheelers brand development process by means of Persona International, the previously identified shortcoming are practically explored. Implementing the brand, Smith and Wheeler suggest to aim at creating an unbeatable customer experience with the help of employees. This idea is shown to be promising..... *** Die vorliegende Diplomarbeit hat das Ziel, sich kritisch mit der Theorie Managing the Customer Experience von Smith und Wheeler auseinander zu setzen und diese empirisch zu prüfen.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
• LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES
• ABSTRACT
• ZUSAMMENFASSUNG
• 1. INTRODUCTION
  • 1.1 DEFINING THE TASK
  • 1.2 THE AIM OF THE STUDY
  • 1.3 THESIS OUTLINE
• 2. OUTLINE OF BRANDING
  • 2.1 DEFINITION OF “BRANDING”
  • 2.2 HISTORY OF BRANDING
  • 2.2 THE IMPORTANCE OF BRANDING
  • 2.3 DEFINITION OF FURTHER TERMS
• 3. DISCUSSION OF THEORIES ABOUT BRANDING
  • 3.1 BRANDING WITH AN EXTERNAL FOCUS
    • 3.1.1 The Trend towards Creating a Customer Experience
    • 3.1.2 Introducing the Ideas of Smith and Wheeler
    • 3.1.3 The Customer Experience Management Model
  • 3.2 BRANDING WITH AN INTERNAL FOCUS
    • 3.2.1 Developing an Internal Focus
    • 3.2.2 Background of the Model by Harris and De Chernatony
    • 3.2.3 The Brand Identity - Reputation Model
  • 3.3 BRANDING WITH A BALANCED INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FOCUS
    • 3.3.1 Introducing the Balanced Focus
    • 3.3.2 Introducing the Underlying Ideas of Davis
    • 3.3.3 The Brand Asset Management Model
  • 3.4 COMPARISON OF THE THEORIES
    • 3.4.1 Comparing the Focus during the Brand Development Process
    • 3.4.2 Comparing the Focus when Implementing the Brand
  • 3.5 CRITICAL EVALUATION OF CEM AND IMPROVEMENT SUGGESTIONS
    • 3.5.1 Suggested Focus when Developing the Brand
    • 3.5.2 The Brand Promise and the Differentiation Strategy
    • 3.5.3 Suggested Focus when Implementing the Brand
    • 3.5.4 Illustrating the Balanced Approach
• 4. EMPIRICAL PART - PRACTICAL VALIDATION OF CEM
  • 4.1 INTRODUCTION OF PERSONA INTERNATIONAL
    • 4.1.1 The Company Persona International
    • 4.1.2 The Products of Persona International
    • 4.1.3 Vision, Mission and Values
    • 4.1.4 Objectives of the Branding Initiative
  • 4.2 METHODOLOGY OF PARTNER RESEARCH
    • 4.2.1 Data collection
    • 4.2.2 Sample Selection
    • 4.2.3 Limitations
    • 4.2.4 Data analysis
  • 4.3 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH WITH PARTNERS
    • 4.3.1 Setting up and Evaluating the Expectation Map
    • 4.3.2 The Brand Promise based on Partner Expectations
  • 4.4 METHODOLOGY OF END-USER RESEARCH
    • 4.4.1 Data Collection
    • 4.4.2 Sample Selection
    • 4.4.3 Limitations
    • 4.4.4 Data Analysis
  • 4.5 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION OF THE END-USER RESEARCH
    • 4.5.1 Findings of the End-user Research
    • 4.5.2 Complementing the Brand Promise
    • 4.5.3 Evaluating the Brand Promise
  • 4.6 TESTING THE SHORTCOMINGS OF CEM
    • 4.6.1 Employee Values and Assumptions
    • 4.6.2 Alignment of Persona Vision, Mission, Values and Brand Promise
• 5. CONCLUSION

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper critically examines Customer Experience Management (CEM) for Persona International, a company focused on developing and manufacturing innovative products. The main objective is to provide a practical validation of CEM for Persona International by analyzing the company's internal and external perspectives on branding. The study aims to assess the effectiveness of CEM in achieving the company's branding goals. Key themes explored in the work include:

• Developing a successful brand strategy based on CEM principles.
• Exploring the importance of aligning internal and external perspectives on branding.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of CEM in creating a differentiated brand experience.
• Analyzing the role of customer expectations and perceptions in shaping the brand promise.
• Identifying potential limitations of CEM and suggesting improvements.

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

This section provides a concise overview of the main arguments and themes presented in each chapter.

• Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter defines the task of critically examining Customer Experience Management (CEM) for Persona International. It outlines the aim of the study, which is to practically validate CEM for the company. Additionally, it presents the thesis outline, providing a roadmap for the subsequent chapters.
• Chapter 2: Outline of Branding: This chapter explores the concept of branding, providing a definition and outlining its historical evolution. It discusses the significance of branding and introduces crucial terms related to the field.
• Chapter 3: Discussion of Theories about Branding: This chapter examines various theories about branding. It begins by focusing on branding with an external focus, specifically on the trend toward creating a customer experience, and introduces the ideas of Smith and Wheeler. It then delves into the Customer Experience Management (CEM) model. The chapter further discusses branding with an internal focus, exploring the development of an internal focus and introducing the models by Harris and De Chernatony. The chapter concludes by comparing the theories, examining the focus during the brand development process and implementation of the brand. It includes a critical evaluation of CEM and provides improvement suggestions for a more balanced approach.
• Chapter 4: Empirical Part - Practical Validation of CEM: This chapter delves into the empirical part of the study, focusing on the practical validation of CEM for Persona International. It introduces the company, its products, its vision, mission, and values, and outlines the objectives of the branding initiative. The chapter then describes the methodology of partner and end-user research, including data collection methods, sample selection, and limitations. It presents the findings and discussion of the research, including the setup and evaluation of the Expectation Map, the Brand Promise based on partner expectations, and the evaluation of the Brand Promise based on end-user research. The chapter concludes by testing the shortcomings of CEM, examining employee values and assumptions and analyzing the alignment between Persona's vision, mission, values, and brand promise.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This work centers around Customer Experience Management (CEM) and its application in creating a successful brand. Key terms include brand strategy, customer experience, brand promise, internal and external perspectives on branding, differentiation strategy, brand asset management, expectation map, and practical validation. The study also explores the concept of a balanced approach to branding, integrating both internal and external factors to achieve sustainable brand success.

• Hochschule: European School of Business Reutlingen
• Note: 1.5
• Autor: Antje Walliser (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2005
• Seiten: 103
• Katalognummer: V186104
• ISBN (eBook): 9783869439167
• ISBN (Buch): 9783867468664
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: successful, branding, customer, experience, management, persona, international